Press release: Innovative moveable weirs now in place
Leeds flood alleviation scheme reaches major milestone read more
Leeds flood alleviation scheme reaches major milestone read more
The first phase of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme has reached a major milestone as all three moveable weir gates have now been successfully put in place at Knostrop Weir on the River Aire.
Costing in the region of £50million, the scheme is being led by Leeds City Council in partnership with the Environment Agency.
The final stages of the work at Knostrop include the removal of the remaining cofferdam ahead of it becoming a fully operational flood defence later in May.
The three gates have been constructed as part of an innovative approach using moveable weirs, which can be lowered in flood conditions to reduce river levels and the threat of flooding. This is the first time that moveable weirs are being used in the UK for a flood defence.
The weirs can be lowered, and raised, by deflating and inflating ‘bladders’ fabricated from a bullet proof neoprene material under each gate, which act like giant air filled pillows.
The first of the weir gates at Knostrop Weir has already been tested. Later this month the cofferdam structure, which was installed to allow a dry working area in the river for the construction of the weir gate, will be flooded with water and the sheet piles then removed.
New fish and eel passes are also being constructed at Knostrop. The structures consist of a number of shallow trays which the fish and eels can swim and jump up, allowing them to migrate upstream. The previous stone weir was approximately three metres high and a barrier to fish and eels moving up the River Aire.
Moveable weirs are also being constructed further upstream at Crown Point in the city centre, where the installation of the first of two weir gates has been completed. Last month, reinforced concrete works were finished which meant the bladders and gates could be fixed in place prior to testing.
Now this gate has been installed and tested, the cofferdam has been flooded and the sheet piles are being removed to allow for work to begin on the final weir gate adjacent to Fearns’ Island.
The Leader of Leeds City Council, Cllr Judith Blake, recently visited both sites to see first hand how the weirs will be reducing the risk of flooding to the city.
Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Judith Blake said:
It was fascinating to see the new flood scheme up close and especially to see the amazing technology and engineering involved in putting these moveable weirs in place to control the flow of the River Aire.
It is such a simple idea but it is fantastic to see Leeds at the cutting-edge of the field using the latest technology in this way.
The value of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme in terms of the reassurance it will offer residents and businesses over the coming years and decades is incalculable, so we very much look forward to seeing phase one complete later this year while we continue to make the strongest possible case for further significant measures to help protect all our communities threatened by flood-risk across the city as soon as possible.
Work on flood defence walls in the Holbeck area are also still underway. Temporary traffic management remains in place and will do so until September 2017. The traffic management has been coordinated with the Bridgewater Place wind baffle scheme in an effort to minimise disruption.
The site works for Phase 1 of the Leeds Flood Alleviation scheme commenced in January 2015 and are due to be completed this summer. It is one of the largest river flood defences in the country. When complete, it will provide an increased level of protection from flooding from the River Aire and Hol Beck for residents and businesses in the city centre. The scheme also includes defences at Woodlesford.
Further information on Phase 1 of the scheme can be found at www.leeds.gov.uk/fas.
Work on phase 2 of the project is currently underway to develop a proposal for how to increase the standard of protection in Leeds including areas such as Kirkstall and Stourton.
read moreIn this role Philip will have overall responsibility for the operation of CDGs, which are the decision-makers, independent of the investigation team, on Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) cases under the Competition Act 1998.
He will be responsible for overseeing their approach to ensure it is rigorous, fair, consistent and efficient, and applying any lessons learned from previous cases. He will participate in, and sometimes chair, individual Case Decision Groups, and will also contribute to discussions about the CMA’s approach to enforcement as the UK prepares to leave the EU.
To underpin separation of decision making, his role is operationally distinct from the CMA’s enforcement directorate.
Philip sat on, and chaired, Case Decision Groups in his capacity as a CMA Inquiry Chair prior to his term on the CMA panel expiring on 31 March 2017. He draws on his extensive experience as a competition law practitioner and academic as well as his work as a CMA panel member and Inquiry Chair.
read moreDuring March, there were four new detention of foreign flagged vessels in a UK port. Four vessels remained under detention from previous months. A total of four vessels remain under detention at the end of March.
In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldson’s inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping, and in compliance with the EU Directive on Port State Control (2009/16/EC as amended), the Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) publishes details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports each month.
The UK is part of a regional agreement on port state control known as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MOU) and information on all ships that are inspected is held centrally in an electronic database known as THETIS. This allows the ships with a high risk rating and poor detention records to be targeted for future inspection.
Inspections of foreign flagged ships in UK ports are undertaken by surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. When a ship is found to be not in compliance with applicable convention requirements, a deficiency may be raised. If any of their deficiencies are so serious they have to be rectified before departure, then the ship will be detained.
All deficiencies should be rectified before departure if at all possible.
When applicable, the list includes those passenger craft prevented from operating under the provisions of the EU Directive on Mandatory Surveys for the safe operation of regular Ro-Ro ferry and high speed passenger craft services (1999/35/EU).
Notes on the list of detentions
GT: 28823
IMO: 9310692
Flag: India (Grey list)
Company: The Great Eastern Shipping Co Ltd
Classification Society: IRS, NKK
Recognised Organisation: IRS
Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: IRS
Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: IRS
Date and Place of Detention: 22nd March 2017 at Milford Haven
Summary: Twenty three deficiencies with four ground for detention
| Defective item | Nature of defect | Ground for Detention |
| 01220 – Seafarers’ employment agreement (SEA) | Missing | Yes |
| 01220 – Seafarers’ employment agreement (SEA) | Missing | No |
| 07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire-resisting divisions | Malfunctioning | No |
| 01314 – SOPEP | Not updated | No |
| 01113 – Minimum Safe Manning Document | Not properly filled | No |
| 01133 – Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage Cert. | Missing | No |
| 18103 – Medical fitness | Not as required | No |
| 18315 – Provisions quality and nutritional value | Rotten | No |
| 18319 – Food segregation | Not adequate | No |
| 18313 – Cleanliness | Dirty | No |
| 18320 – Record of inspection (food and catering) | Not as required | No |
| 18302 – Sanitary Facilities | Damaged | No |
| 11102 – Lifeboat inventory | Not as required | No |
| 11129 – Operational readiness of lifesaving appliances | Not as required | No |
| 07113 – Fire pumps and its pipes | Not as required | No |
| 13103 – Gauges,thermometers, etc | Not properly maintained | No |
| 07109 – Fixed fire extinguishing installation | Not as required | No |
| 07111 – Personal equipment for fire safety | Not as required | No |
| 04109 – Fire drills | Lack of control | Yes |
| 04110 – Abandon ship drills | Lack of training | Yes |
| 07109 – Fixed fire extinguishing installation | Not as required | No |
| 15150 – ISM | Not as required | Yes |
| 07111 – Personal equipment for fire safety | Not properly maintained | No |
This vessel was released on 25th March 2017
GT: 40937
IMO: 9701152
Flag: Panama (White list)
Company: First Marine Services Ltd
Classification Society: NKK
Recognised Organisation: NKK
Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: NKK
Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: NKK
Date and Place of Detention: 12th March 2017 at Port Talbot
Summary: Three deficiencies with three ground for detention
| Defective item | Nature of defect | Ground for Detention |
| 04114 – Emergency source of power – Emergency generator | Inoperative | Yes |
| 10105 – Magnetic compass | Not as required | Yes |
| 15150 – ISM | Not as required | Yes |
This vessel was released on 13th March 2017
GT: 674
IMO: 7726897
Flag: Belize (Black list)
Company: Great Glen Shipping Co Ltd
Classification Society: INSB
Recognised Organisation: INSB
Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: INSB
Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: INSB
Date and Place of Detention: 7th March 2017 at Liverpool
Summary: Eighteen deficiencies with seven ground for detention
| Defective item | Nature of defect | Ground for Detention |
| 01102 – Cargo Ship Safety Construction (including exempt.) | Survey out of window | Yes |
| 01101 – Cargo Ship Safety Equipment (including exemption | Survey out of window | Yes |
| 01104 – Cargo Ship Safety Radio (including exemption) | Survey out of window | Yes |
| 01108 – Load Lines (including Exemption) | Survey out of window | Yes |
| 03112 – Scuppers, inlets and discharges | Corroded | Yes |
| 03104 – Cargo & other hatchways | Damaged | No |
| 07113 – Fire pumps and its pipes | Insufficient pressure | No |
| 18420 – Cleanliness of engine room | Not as required | No |
| 14604 – Bunker delivery notes | Missing | No |
| 18413 – Warning notices | Missing | No |
| 02108 – Electrical installations in general | Unsafe | No |
| 18302 – Sanitary Facilities | Not properly maintained | No |
| 01124 – International Air Pollution Cert. | Survey out of window | Yes |
| 03107 – Doors | Not properly maintained | No |
| 11117 – Lifebuoys incl. provision and disposition | Not as required | No |
| 10133 – Bridge operation | Lack of training | No |
| 01313 – Booklet for bulk cargo loading/unloading/stowage | Missing | No |
| 15150 – ISM | Not as required | Yes |
This vessel was released on 10th March 2017
GT: 1570
IMO: 8508400
Flag: Antigua & Barbuda (White list)
Company: Rhenus Maritime Services GmbH
Classification Society: DNVGL
Recognised Organisation: DNVGL
Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: GL
Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: GL
Date and Place of Detention: 2nd March 2017 at Hartlepool
Summary: Ten deficiencies with one ground for detention
| Defective item | Nature of defect | Ground for Detention |
| 10105 – Magnetic compass | Not readable | No |
| 10109 – Lights, shapes, sound-signals | Inoperable | No |
| 07115 – Fire-dampers | Not as required | No |
| 11108 – Inflatable liferafts | Expired | No |
| 18407 – Lighting (Working spaces) | Inoperative | No |
| 03107 – Doors | Not properly maintained | No |
| 18421 – Guards – fencing around dangerous machinery parts | Missing equipment | No |
| 02111 – Beams, frames, floors-corrosion | Corroded | No |
| 11113 – Launching arrangements for rescue boats | Not as required | No |
| 15150 – ISM | Not as required | Yes |
This vessel was released on 4th March 2017
GT: 3001
IMO: 9087312
Flag: India (Grey List)
Company: GOL Offshore Ltd
Classification Society: IRS
Recognised Organisation: IRS
Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: IRS
Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: IRS
Date and Place of Detention: 5th October 2016 at Aberdeen
Summary: Five deficiencies with five grounds for detention
| Defective item | Nature of defect | Ground for Detention |
| 07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire resisting divisions | Not as required | Ye |
| 07113 – Fire pumps and its pipes | Not as required | Yes |
| 18203 – Wages | Missing | Yes |
| 01220 – Seafarers employment agreement (SEA) | Invalid | Yes |
| 18204 – Calculation and payment of wages | No records | Yes |
This vessel was still detained on 31st March 2017
GT: 964.
IMO No: 7393169.
Flag: PANAMA (white list)
Company:
Classification Society: Expired
Recognised Organisation: Expired
Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC:
Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC:
Date and Place of Detention: 17 June 2016, West Cowes
Summary: Seventeen deficiencies with seventeen grounds for detentions
| Defective item | Nature of defect | Ground for Detention |
| 01101 – Cargo ship safety equipment cert | Expired | Yes |
| 01102 – Cargo Ship safety construction cert | Expired | Yes |
| 01104 – Cargo ship safety radio cert | Expired | Yes |
| 01108 – Loadline cert | Expired | Yes |
| 01117 – IOPP (International Oil Pollution Prevention cert | Expired | Yes |
| 01119 – International Sewage Pollution Prevention cert | Expired | Yes |
| 01124 – International Air Pollution Prevention cert | Expired | Yes |
| 01137 – Civil liability for bunker oil pollution damage cert | Expired | Yes |
| 01199 – Other certs (Certificate of class) | Expired | Yes |
| 01201 – Certificates for master and officers | Missing | Yes |
| 10111 – Charts | Not updated | Yes |
| 10116 – Publications Nautical | Not updated | Yes |
| 11108 – Inflatable liferafts | Expired | Yes |
| 11116 – Distress flares | Missing | Yes |
| 07109 – Fixed fire fighting extinguishing installation | Not as required | Yes |
| 07110 – Fire fighting equipment & appliances | Not as required | Yes |
| 01140 – Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance | Missing | Yes |
This vessel was still detained on 31st March 2017
GT: 4450.
IMO No: 9212448.
Flag: COOK ISLANDS (black list)
Company: Coralot Consulting Ltd.
Classification Society: International Naval Surveys Bureau (INSB).
Recognised Organisation: INSB.
Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC: INSB.
Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: INSB
Date and Place of Detention: 4th April 2016, Chatham, Orpington.
Summary: Six deficiencies with two grounds for detention
| Defective item | Nature of defect | Ground for Detention |
| 01201 – Certificates for masters and officers | Invalid | Yes |
| 15150 – ISM | Not as required | Yes |
| 13101 – Propulsion main engine | Not as required | No |
| 01123 – Continuous synopsis record | Missing | No |
| 01113 – Minimum safe manning document | Not as required | No |
| 14119 – Oil and oily mixtures from machinery spaces | Lack of familiarity | No |
This vessel was still detained on 31st March 2017.
GT: 106.
IMO No: 8944446.
Flag: Unregistered.
Company: Open Window Inc.
Classification Society: Unclassed.
Recognised Organisation: Not applicable.
Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC: Not applicable.
Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: Not applicable
Date and Place of detention: 4 March 2010, Lowestoft
Summary: Thirty deficiencies including seven grounds for detention
This vessel was still detained on 31st March 2017
Notes to Editors
• The MCA is a partner in the Sea Vision UK campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the sea and maritime activities. Sea Vision promotes the importance and economic value of the sector and works to highlight the exciting range of activities and career opportunities available to young people within the UK growing maritime sector at www.seavision.org.uk
• Follow us on Twitter: @MCA_media
For further information please contact Maritime and Coastguard Agency Press Office, on: +44 (0) 2380 329 401 Press releases and further information about the agency is available here.
read moreThe government’s regional engagement programme for its Industrial Strategy continued last week (30 March) in Yorkshire, where business ministers met companies and workers from across the area to encourage them to contribute to the consultation, which closes in just over 2 weeks.
The day culminated in an evening reception, hosted by Business Secretary Greg Clark and ministers, at KPMG in Leeds with over 100 businesses from a range of sectors in attendance. The reception gave ministers an opportunity to hear the views of Yorkshire’s business community on how best to get the region’s economy growing.
Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said:
A modern British Industrial Strategy must build on our strengths as a country and extend excellence into the future, closing the gap between the UK’s most productive companies, industries, places and people.
Through our modern Industrial Strategy and Northern Powerhouse investment we are going to build on Yorkshire’s unique strengths in industries such as offshore wind and specialist engineering, to make the region one of the most competitive areas in the UK to start and grow a business.
We launched our strategy as a green paper because we want this to be a conversation with businesses and employees. My ministerial team and I have visited sites all over Yorkshire to encourage businesses and workers alike to contribute and refine our vision.
Lord Prior of Brampton visited Rotherham’s Advanced Manufacturing Park to open the Metals Discovery Centre, following a £10 million investment by metal and alloys company Metalysis. The company is launching its Materials Discovery Centre at the Park to expand its research and development capabilities, and once complete Metalysis hope to employ 100 people across its South Yorkshire sites.
Small Business and Consumer Minister Margot James was in Harrogate hosting an Industrial Strategy meeting with the Institute of Directors (IoD), discussing how the strategy can drive growth in the local economy. The minister then toured the Otley-based and family-run textiles company Marton Mills which has been producing a range of fabrics in the region since 1931.
In Bradford, Industry Minister Nick Hurd visited BASF, the largest chemical producer in the world, to learn about the company’s international chemical operations and the local plans for the site. After this the minister hosted a meeting on Industrial Strategy with the manufacturing group EEF at the hydraulics company Oilgear UK in Leeds before meeting with the Leeds Local Enterprise Partnership.
The regional engagement follows the launch of the government’s green paper, ‘Building our Industrial Strategy’, in January which outlined 10 pillars of focus to be discussed as part of a 12 week consultation period. The pillars cover a broad range of themes including skills, infrastructure, affordable energy and clean growth.
The strategy proposes plans for driving growth across the country, with a framework to build on local strengths and reduce regional disparities in opportunities and prosperity.
With a clear ambition of creating an economy that works for everyone, the green paper contains a number of proposed announcements set to benefit Yorkshire and the Humber such as:
The government has issued an open invitation to industries, businesses and local groups in Yorkshire to visit the Industrial Strategy consultation and help set the priorities for a modern Industrial Strategy.
The consultation period has just over 2 weeks remaining, closing on April 17, after which the government will consider responses before publishing a white paper later in the year.
read more